This is the first of thirty lessons I've learned from my chronic illness. Thirty is an arbitrary number—I've probably learned more than thirty things over the past few years as a result of having an unrelenting mystery illness. Or maybe I've learned far fewer than that, and by day 14 I'll have to start making… Continue reading Lesson 1: The Best Day to Start is Today
You've heard the story before: someone goes through a serious illness or accident, returns to health, and their entire outlook on the world has changed for the better. They consider it a blessing in disguise and they no longer take their life for granted. They may even consider themselves better off than they were before… Continue reading 30 Days of Life Lessons from Chronic Illness
I've been on a Fair Isle crochet kick lately, and I decided to try something more muted and a little bit....spooky. A friend of mine is a lover of bats, creepy things, magical things, and creatures of the night. She also prefers neutrals and darker colors. So, the Nocturnal Creatures Bag was born! It's the… Continue reading Nocturnal Creatures Tote Bag Pattern
Fair Isle patterns aren't just for cold weather anymore. As the tiniest hints of spring were showing this month, I was scurrying like a chipmunk to finish this cozy, bright, and colorful pillow pattern. It's created with one of my favorite knit-look crochet techniques: waistcoat stitch and tapestry-style colorwork. And it's easier than you probably think it is! You… Continue reading Cheery Fair Isle Pillow Pattern
This week I started watching Abstract: The Art of Design. I'm not the most talented TV review writer, so I'm not going to bother describing to you how good it is. It's really good. The first episode features illustrator and New Yorker cover-designer Christopher Niemann working in his minimalist studio, with a bucket of primary-colored… Continue reading Be a careless artist and a ruthless editor
I'm a sucker for holidays. I don't necessarily enjoy the taint of modern consumerism, but I do love food, making things, and celebrating seasons. I enjoy the connection that many of our Western, Christian-ish holidays have to the pagan traditions of Europe, the marking of the passing of time, and the opportunity to break out of… Continue reading Valentine’s Day reimagined: compassion, kindness, and non-complementary behavior
My long-awaited jelly-bean colored, crocheted afghan has been completed. I haven't decided what to call it yet, but here are some possibilities. What do you think? "Jelly Bean Blanket" "The Taking-it-One-Row-at-a-Time Afghan" "Heavy Snuggles Blanket" "Fruitful Afghan" ??? Something about the colors makes me think of exotic fruits. I'm a big fan of fruit. This… Continue reading Taking it One Row at a Time: A New Afghan
